One Chinese family's legacy in paradise

One of the notable things that Jean Moilin did was to persuade the Parliament to make the Chinese Spring Festival a public holiday in Mauritius. He succeeded, and Mauritius is today the only African country that celebrates this major Chinese festival.

In 1972, the Mauritian government, in which Jean Moilin held the post of minister, established diplomatic relations with China. In the early 1970s, the slump in sugar cane prices in the international market dealt a heavy blow to the country's economy. As a result, unemployment in the country rose at an alarming rate.

After the Mauritian government passed the Export Processing Zone Act in 1970 to provide incentives for foreign trade, Jean Moilin played a crucial role in building the export processing zone, which led to the creation of more than 60,000 jobs. With the help of his daughter, Madeleine, who was living in Hong Kong with her husband, Jean Moilin also invited delegations of textile entrepreneurs from Hong Kong and Macao to invest in Mauritius.

"Not enough credit has been given to Jean Moilin for the success of the export processing zone. It must be said that it was the zone that saved Mauritius after independence," says Edouard Lim Fat, a close friend of Jean Moilin and one of the pioneers of the zone.

In appreciation of his dedication and contribution to the country, the then prime minister of Mauritius Seewoosagur Ramgoolam recommended Jean Moilin to Queen Elizabeth II of England for the honor of knighthood in 1979. Jean Moilin was made Knight Bachelor of the British Empire in January 1980.

Jean Moilin died in 1991 at the age of 90. In honor of him, his portrait was printed on the 25-rupee banknotes in 1998. Three years later, a commemorative stamp marking the 100th anniversary of his birth was issued in the country.

In her book The Portrait of My Vivid Life, Marie Madeleine Lee paid tribute to her father, writing: "You have unquestionably elevated the status of the Chinese community in Mauritius."